Cruising

The Ventura Star reported that Zac Sunderland, once the youngest person ever to sail solo around the world, was arrested in his hometown of Thousand Oaks following a run-in with police that he said was based on a misunderstanding. Sunderland, 18, was arrested about 1 a.m. Thursday in the 2200 block of Calle Riscoso on suspicion of resisting arrest, unlawful entry of a house and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, all misdemeanors, Ventura County Sheriff’s Department officials said in a statement today. Sunderland was booked into the Sheriff’s East County Jail and released about seven hours later. The cops allege Sunderland was drinking alcohol in the backyard of a vacant residence with other teens and that when a deputy arrived and told him to stop, he “lowered his shoulder, charged at a deputy and had to be physically subdued as he was apparently trying to escape from the yard,” according to the statement. A news video.

No changes on top of the ranking lists on the final day of the Copa del Rey on the Bay of Palma waters yesterday. In the IRC-A-rankings after 12 races, Niklas Zennerström SWE with his 'ran' is holding the lead. 'Bella Mente' USA finished on rank 4. The TP52 'Matador' of Alberto Roemmers ARG renewed her last year's victory in the IRC-B-rankings. 'Lucky' USA is on the 8th place. The Swan 45 'Rats on Fire' of Raffael Carbonell ESP is the winner in the RI-1 category. All other ranking lists, the daily report and the video clips.

The sea breeze off Palma was late, but strong enough for two more races. In IRC A (the Mini-Maxis) Andy Soriano's 'Alegre' had an off day allowing 'Ran' and Niklas Zennerström GBR and 'Container' Udo Schütz GER to reduce the points gap. Hap Fauth USA and 'Bella Menthe' are stuck in fourth overall. In IRC B it's down to a duel between leader Alberto Roemmers ARG on 'Matador' and Jose Cusi ESP on 'Bribon,' 3 points behind. Bryon Ehrhart USA with 'Lucky' continues to lose ground and is in eighth place, last among the TP 52s. All results, the report and the videos.

Laura Dekker, 14, the Dutch teenage girl has set off in a bid to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world after winning a victory in her battle with child welfare authorities. She began her journey, which is expected to take two years, a couple of days ago after setting sail in her 38-foot yacht ‘Guppy.’ "I can be sailing now, and that's great," she said. "I am not really afraid. I am very happy." Over 100 well wishers gathered in the southern Dutch harbor of Den Osse to wave goodbye to Dekker and her father Dick who’s accompanying her to Portugal before she begins her solo voyage to the Canary Islands and on, across the Atlantic later this year. Asked what she would miss most on her trip, Miss Dekker replied: "My dog, Spot." A report.

the leaders padded their accounts in yesterday's long-distance race at the Copa del Rey in Palma. In IRC A Andy Soriano GBR on 'Alegre' took another bullet and now leads Niklas Zennstroem’s GBR on ‘Ran’ and Udo Schuetz GER on ‘Container’. Hap Fauth USA on ‘Bella Menthe’ took fourth yesterday and slipped to fourth overall. In IRC B the TP 52s are among themselves. Alberto Roemmers ARG on ’Matador’ is unbeatable right now and leads Jose Cusi ESP on ‘Bribon’ Bryon Ehrhart USA on ‘Lucky’ took fifth yesterday an is seventh overall. The report.

The ideal conditions of the opening day of the 29 Copa del Rey Audi Mapfre didn't accompany today's races, and the shifty breeze only allowed one race per class in the Alpha and Bravo areas. In the RI1 division, 'Rats on fire' was the unexpected winner and now is in the lead. While 'Movistar' with Pedro Campos ESP comfortably won to increase her advantage in RI2 IRC and X-41 couldn't start their race till late in the afternoon, which resulted in victories for Andy Soriano GBR on 'Alegre' in IRC A (Mini Maxis) and Albert Roemmers ARG on 'Matador' in IRC B. Hap Fauth USA on ’Bella Menthe’ took second and improved to third overall in IRC A while Bryon Ehrhart USA and ‘Lucky’ slipped to eighth in IRC B after a 10-th yesterday.

In addition to the X40-catamarans which we cover daily, there's a considerable number of other international, national and development classes sailing in the traditional Cowes Week, which dates back to 1851. New this year are the Chinese Longtze racers, which are catching on in parts of Europe. More than 50 class results are posted on the Web site. The report of the day.

A typical Palma sea breeze of 10-12 knots from the south started the 29th Copa del Rey Regatta that also has two US boats in attendance. After two races in IRC A, Hap Fauth's 'Bella Mente' is fourth (eader 'Allegre'/ Andy Soriano GBR) while in IRC B the TP 52 'Lucky' (William Finlay/Bryon Ehrhart) is seventh (leader 'Matador' Alberto Roemmers ARG). All results and the report.

Dutch judges on Tuesday gave the green light for a teenage girl's bid to become the youngest person to sail around the world solo, thwarting a bid to have her kept in child care. The court rejected the request for the extension of supervision of child care authorities over 14-year-old Laura Dekker. Child care authorities asked the court last week to extend Dekker's supervision by 12 months to August 2011 in a bid to stop her departure, citing fears for her social and emotional wellbeing. Dekker, who has the backing of her parents, needs to complete the two-year trip before she turns 17 on September 20, 2012, to set the new record. The girl's lawyer Peter de Lange said he had contacted her by phone and she was "extremely happy". Dekker, who was not present for the judgment, hopes to set sail within the next two weeks, according to her blog. The full report.

Without fanfare, Italian extreme sailor Alessandro di Benedetto completed his incredible single-handed round-the-world jaunt on his modified Mini 6.50 ‘Findomestic Banca’ yesterday in Les Sables-d'Olonne, France. The geologist traveled 28.360 miles in 270 days, endured storms and fought through a dismasting in late March off Cape Horn (we reported), but carried on under jury rig. In 2002 he sailed from Las Palmas ESP to Guadeloupe and became the first to cross the Atlantic solo, non-stop on a beach cat and in 2006 he did the same from Yokohama JPN to San Fran USA. Di Benedetto’s blog did not even carry a note that he has finished. Talk about modesty and contrast to the garish hype surrounding the teenage sailors. The report (in Italian)

A couple who took a yacht for a quiet sailing trip were stunned when a 40-ton whale crash-landed on their boat off Cape Town RSA. The pair were enjoying calm seas off the South African coast when the animal flipped into the air and smashed into their mast. Ralph Mothes, 59, and Paloma Werner, 50, were helpless as the beast thrashed around on their 33ft vessel before slipping back into the water. Miss Werner said: "It really was quite incredible but very scary. The whale was about the same size as the boat. "We'd spotted it about 100 metres away and thought that was the end of it. Then suddenly it was right up beside us. "I assumed it would go underneath the boat but instead it sprang out of the sea. We were very lucky to get through it, as the sheer weight of the thing was huge. "There were bits of skin and blubber left behind, and the mast was wrecked. It brought down the rigging too." Thank goodness the hull was made of steel and not fibreglass or we could have been ruined." The story and a slide show.

TPM-COYCH Hyères' (Fabien Henry) was the team of the day yesterday with two wins in the three short races, consolidating third overall. Nothing new on top where 'Nouvelle Calédonie' (Bertrand Pacé) remains a mile ahead of 'Courrier Dunkerque' (Daniel Souzben). In a 10-12 kn breeze and summery 28°C, 'Groovederci' (Deneen Demourkas USA) struggled to get it going with 14-11-9, which puts them back into sixth overall. The results, the daily report and the video of the day.

Is this a good sign for soccer, where the World Champions will be crowned in a week? In sailing at least, Wolfgang Schäfer GER (Farr 40) and Jean-Francois Lacruette FRA (Melges 32) did it on Sardinia. Yesterday again, the breeze was not good enough to add some more races to the sailors' recordings. The already published results are now firm with the Bronze-Medal for Team USA and Pieter Taselaar USA (Melges 32) and Jim Richardson's Farr 40 'Barking Mad'. The final report.

Yesterday the 28-boat Farr 30 fleet again faced challenging conditions with a well established breeze and a strong current. 'Groovederci' (Deneen Demourkas USA) started the day poorly with an 18th in the first race, but came back in the next one to finish second and move up to sixth overall. Bertrand Pacé's 'Nouvelle Calédonie' defended the overall lead in the two short races, but the direct opponents are getting closer. The surprising student team 'SOG Safran' with Julien Villon is second, followed by the day's top teams 'COYCH Hyères' (Fabien Henry FRA) and 'Ile de France' (Jimmy Pahun FRA) in third and fourth. Today is the start to the first longer race from Calais to Dieppe. The daily report and the videotheque.

In her first public statements after being rescued June 12 in the Indian Ocean, teenage sailor Abby Sunderland said Tuesday there were "times when I was terrified" during the ordeal, but that she was prepared for the perils of a solo circumnavigation and was proud of her achievement. Sunderland's parents, through a family spokesman, defended their 16-year-old daughter's effort and condemned the media and public criticism of their decision to allow the voyage to take place as "shocking to us" and some of which "crossed the line of human decency." Read more in Soundings Online and see the press conference video.

Up to 20 knots of breeze, a foul current of 3 knots and choppy seas in the English Channel welcomed the 28-boat Farr 30 fleet on their first coastal race, a 25-mile dash from Dunkirk to Calais. 'Nouvelle Calédonie' with Bertrand Pacé got the third bullet in a row, ahead of 'Ile de France' (Jimmy Pahun FRA) and 'COYCH Hyères' (Fabien Henry FRA). 'Groovederci' (Deneen Demourkas USA) added another 11th place yesterday and remains 8th in the overall www.tourvoile.fr/fr/2010/la-course/les-classements/les-classements-2010.html standings. The report and the mediatheque (with a one-day-delay).

Jeff Janov and ‘Dark Star’ held on to win the Farr 40 class at the Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week, beating out defending champion David Voss and ‘Piranha.’
There were 147 boats in 20 classes, and all except J/120s, which didn't race Friday, sailed seven races over three days. In continuing moderate breeze, lady skipper Tracey Kenney won the Open 5.70s, the largest one-design class in the while Bob Miller (Rio Grande YC, is from El Paso, Texas ) won the eight-boat Viper class and One-Design Boat of the Week honors. Australia's Alan Brierty skippering his Reichel/Pugh 63, ‘Limit’, won the IRC class. PHRF Boat of the Week was the Andrews 45, ‘Locomotion’, which won the Fast 50 fleet. The report with all results and galleries.

At times during the last nine months the crew of Cork might have thought this moment would never arrive but on Sunday evening at 1847 GMT they crossed the finish line at Kinsale IRL, first to finish the Transatlantic leg of Race 12 in the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race. 'The original ‘Cork’ was lost after hitting a reef in the Java Sea in January, but the crew was dispersed among the other nine teams to continue their challenge and came together again in Panama when they took delivery of their replacement yacht, a steel-hulled Challenge 67. They completed the 2,000-mile course from Cape Breton Island CAN to Kinsale in eight days, 30 minutes and 50 seconds. The rest of the fleet must now finish before approximately 1000 GMT in order to beat them. First in line were ‘Team Finland’ and ‘Jamaica Lightning Bolt’ with a little more than 30 miles to the finish at midnight GMT. The report and the race viewer.

For the first couple of days in the Singlehanded TransPac from San Francisco to Hawaii most of the 14 solo sailors were stuck in neutral. But with Hurricane Celia, churning somewhere off the Mexican coast, competitors are getting back some breeze to continue on their 2120-mile journey west to the Sandwich Islands. Comfortably ahead and past halfway point is Jeff Lebesch on ‘Hecla,’ a 54-foot Hammmerhead trimaran. If you have some time to kill and can’t wait to read the ramblings of some lone rangers out there, here is the link to the log transcripts. The event site, and the race viewer.

Winning yesterday's prologue in a 10 kn breeze, 'Nouvelle Calédonie' with Damien Iehl FRA, helmsman, and Bertrand Pacé FRA, tactician, asserted their high aspirations for this year's Tour de France. The prologue does not count for the overall results, yet the short race was a good last chance to test and tune the boats. No official results were posted at press time, so the finish of the US entry 'Groovederci' is not yet known. The official report and the video of the prologue.

With 1754 boats on the line, the 50-mile Round-the-Island-Race is by far the biggest highlight of the UK sailing season. Sun and breezes from 10 to 17 knots were forecast for this classic race at the cradle of the America's Cup. The fleet is loaded with rock stars, including Ben Ainslie, Paul Goodison, or Shirley Robertson and some fine and fast boats that vie for line honors such as the Super-Maxi 'ICAP Leopard 3', the Maxi-Trimaran 'IDEC' with Francis Joyon FRA, some X40-Cats and the J-Class 'Velsheda'. Follow the race on the live tracker. See the 2008 video and the event Web site.

Today, Sailing News received a personal note from www.theplastiki.com] Plastiki’s[/url] Explorer-in-Chief, David de Rothschild. He and his mates have been at sea for nearly 90 days since leaving San Francisco, Calif., in March and are now on their last leg from Samoa to Sydney, Australia. According to the trip tracker, they traveled approximately 5,900 nautical miles while in that same time span, 5,4 billion plastic bottles are estimated to have been used in the US alone. Here's Dave:
“Some notable points of the journey so far include the fact that we could not catch a fish for 3 weeks (not due to our perfect technique, of course!) and only 3 since then (2 tuna and 1 dorado), we have seen no sharks – although we have seen pilot whales and dolphins amongst the polluted waters of the South Pacific… The crew and I try to spend as much time in the water as possible. This gives us the opportunity to check and maintain the boat from the underside, once underwater we continue to notice that if you move your hand slowly in front of your face you quickly accumulate many molecular sized plastic particles on your palm, often know as mermaid’s tears.” Read David’s missive (PDF) and join My Plastiki, where nearly 4,000 people pledged to reduce their use of new plastic bottles, plastic bags and styrene foam.

After the fast squall-driven passage from St-Tropez FRA to the Giraglia Rock, the wind died on the way from the northern tip of Corsica to the finish in San Remo ITA. Only eight teams had finished by press time. Line honors for the 100-foot Super-Maxi 'Esimit Europa 2' (ex Alfa Romeo) owned by Igor Simic SLO with Flavio Favini ITA at the helm. The Maxi class was won on corrected time by Neville Crichton NZL with 'Shockwave' ahead of the German 'Container,' owned by Udo Schütz GER and skippered by Markus Wieser GER. The report.

Laura Dekker, the 14-year-old Dutch girl who wants to become the youngest person to sail solo around the globe will remain under state supervision for another month, a court ruled Thursday, days after Abby Sunderland, a California teenager, was rescued during a similar attempt. The decision by the court in the southern Dutch city of Middelburg meant another frustrating delay for Dekker, who has gone into intense training to persuade the authorities she is capable of undertaking the risky venture. Dekker was made a ward of the state last year after her plan to set sail aboard her small yacht raised concerns over her physical ability and her social development if she is isolated and out of school for months. She was then 13. Full story.

Laura Dekker, a 14 year-old New Zealand-born girl born is waiting on a Dutch court to this week decide whether to allow her to achieve her dream of becoming the youngest person to sail solo around the world. Dutch child protection services are seeking to prolong Dekker's official supervision, possibly thwarting her plans, Mariska Nieuwendijk, a spokeswoman for the district court in Middelburg in the southwest Netherlands, told the AFP news agency. Dekker needs to complete the trip - which she expected to take two years - before she turns 17 on September 20, 2012 to set the record, but child welfare experts have previously raised concerns about her being cut off from parents and peers and other social stimulus or interaction. The report.

Rain and a stormy breeze prevented racing yesterday off St-Tropez FRA, as the Race Committee decided the boats and equipment should be taken care of before today's start to the 241 miles Giraglia Race to San Remo ITA. The standings after two races are therefore final. The STP65 'Container' of Udo Schütz GER with Markus Wieser GER (arriving from the Dragon Europeans on Lake Balaton) at the helm is the winner in the Maxi class, in the biggest class with 127 teams, the IRC A-category, Gilles Argellis on 'Imagine' took first. The report.
Milder conditions have been forecast for today's Giraglia Race with a 10-15 kn southerly breeze. First boats are expected to finish early tomorrow.

New York City artist, adventurer and sailor Reid Stowe, on his 70-ft. gaff-rigged schooner Anne, returns from an epic 1,152-day non-stop and non-re-supplied sea voyage. No human has ever been away from land for this duration. Stowe, 58, will be accompanied by a flotilla of boats up the Hudson River to W. 42nd Street where he will disembark at 1 p.m. and step foot on land for the first time in over three years. He will reunite with his companion, Soanya Ahmad, who sailed with Stowe for the first 306 days of the voyage, but had to leave due to morning sickness. Stowe will also meet, for the first time, his son Darshen, who was conceived at sea and is now almost two years old. Details on Stowe’s Web site.

The father of Abby Sunderland, the 16-year-old girl whose solo sailing effort ended when her boat was damaged, cut ties with a company that planned to do a reality TV show about the family because he disagreed about the direction the producers were taking, he said Monday. “There is no show at this time, nor will there be,” Laurence Sunderland said, addressing reporters outside the family's Thousand Oaks home. Long before Abby Sunderland set sail on her around-the-world attempt in January, Sunderland was approached by Magnetic Entertainment about the possibility of a reality show, he said … Magnetic did some initial filming but could not sell the show, said Sunderland, a shipbuilder. He also had a falling out with the partners over the angle they wanted to take, he said. “They were assuming Abigail was going to die out there,” he said. “They were relying on her dying, and so we cut the ties.” He said that so far he has spent $250,000 financing Zac's and Abby’s trips, money from a nest egg he had set aside to buy a farm in Maine. Read on.

The 10 to 15-knot breeze was perfect for yesterday's coastal races at the Rolex Giraglia Cup. With a second place, 'Container ', the TP65 of Udo Schütz GER, defended the lead in the Maxi class, holding off 'Allegre' und 'Shockwave' . In the IRC group A, the Swiss GP42 'Near Miss' had to concede the lead to 'Imagine'. The daily report.

June 26th marks the start to the Tour de France in Dunkerque, the last edition of this classic regatta that will be sailed on Farr 30s. 28 Teams are registered, among them defending champions 'Courrier Dunkerque' with Daniel Souben FRA, 'Nouvelle Calédonie' with America's Cup and match racing veteran Bertrand Pacé FRA and for the first time 'Oman Sail' with Robert Greenalgh GBR und 'Groovederci' with Deneen Demourkas USA. Read more about this crazy, fascinating race on the event Web site.

For those who were busy racing, here are some reports you might have missed in our weekend editions: Star EC - Campbell/Nichol win Silver; Teen Sailing - Abby’s next ride; Laser EC - Croatia x 2; Etchells NA - Golison wins; Bol d’Or - Dona beats the boys; Oil spill - Hobie Cat event canceled; Beach Cat - Round Texel preview.

You know what’s wrong with June? There’s no three-day weekend to sail! For the 10th Annual Summer Sailstice, a global holiday dedicated to sailing, the actual solstice occurs on Monday June 21st, immediately following Summer Sailstice weekend. To allow all sailors everywhere to live by the rule: ‘It is better to be lost at sea than found at work’, an official holiday absentee notice has been created authorizing a three-day weekend for sailors. To participate, sailors need only sign up and download the official hooky form.

Help is due to reach embattled sailor Abby Sunderland, in the form of a French fishing boat named 'Ile De La Reunion'. The 16-year-old adventurer, who had not been heard from for 20 hours after activating her emergency satellite beacons, but was found to be safe late Thursday night aboard her dismasted vessel, is not out of danger yet. The crew aboard an Australian spotter plane, that located her 40-foot cruising sled 'Wild Eyes' as it floundered in the Southern Indian Ocean, was at the limit of its range and had to turn back, leaving the rescue to the French fishermen, who were nearest her position. Now that she has been found and seemingly will make it home safely, the wisdom of her journey has come into question. [Should] Abby have been so low in the Indian Ocean, along the 40-degree latitude known for good reason as the "Roaring Forties," at this time of year, with the stormy Southern Hemisphere winter so close at hand? She chose the route partly to steer clear of pirates farther north in the Indian Ocean, and she originally hoped to embark from Marina del Rey at least two months before she finally left on Jan. 23. Boat issues were the cause of the delays.
Australia's Ian Kiernan, who has sailed around the world, told Sky News television on Friday that even if Abby had made it safely through the latest storm, she "would be going through a very difficult time with mountainous seas and essentially hurricane-force winds." The full story.

Abby Sunderland is safe but dismasted about 2,000 nautical miles off Western Australia, which means the end of her solo circumnavigation attempt and, likely, the end of her Scott Jutson-designed Open 40, 'Wild Eyes'. Sunderland's team informed media that the 16-year-old was found alive in the Indian Ocean by Australian rescue authorities. "Wild Eyes is upright, but her rigging is down. The weather conditions are abating," says Sunderland's parents, Laurence and Marianne, on her blog. "Radio communication was made and Abby reports that she is fine!" The voyage, however, is over, says Laurence Sunderland. "I don't know how she'll be routed back to us here or where we'll go to meet her, but knowing that she's alive and well means far more to me than any sailing record," he told Australia's ABC news. Get the update from Soundings Online.

An international search and rescue effort has been launched by the US, France and Australia in hope of finding Abby Sunderland, 16, who set off her emergency beacon locating devices from the southern Indian Ocean early yesterday morning. Sunderland, who had been attempting to sail around the world alone, endured multiple knockdowns in 60-knot winds Thursday. Shortly before the incident, she was in contact with her parents via satellite phone, but the connection was lost. An hour later they were notified by the Australian Coast Guard that both EPIRBs had been activated. Her last known position was reported as Latitude -34.885931, Longitude 74.53125, several hundred miles northeast of the French Kerguelen Islands. Her support team said the boat was drifting backwards at around 1 knot, which is slower than any upright boat, even a dismasted one, would drift. At least one report speculated about her being 'alive' and 'most likely floating'.
Her yacht, ‘Wild Eyes’ is an Open 40 that was designed for ocean racing with five watertight compartments to keep the boat afloat in an emergency. Her family says she has all the safety equipment on board, including dry suit, survival suit, life raft, and ditch bag with emergency supplies. The timing of her trip was criticized because it was going to place her in the middle of the Indian Ocean when the stormy Southern Hemisphere winter was at hand. Read the report in Soundings and follow the updates on her blog. Her Web site now only has one page, titled 'Hurry Home Abby'.

After the frustration of the very light and spotty winds of the past few days, the conditions have improved over the last 24 hours to produce some downwind sailing. With the forecast for the next 24 hours showing the winds strengthening, the race to New York is on. Tension is mounting as the finish line approaches. ‘Uniquely Singapore’ and ‘Cape Breton Island’ were in a virtual dead heat at the front of the fleet with under 170 miles to go. The daily report and the race viewer.

A married couple died Sunday in a boating accident off the Cliff House in San Francisco, the Coast Guard said today. The couple were in a 30-foot sailboat when patrons at the restaurant reported at 4:46 p.m. that the vessel "appeared to be in distress," Coast Guard Lt. j.g. Jeremy Pichette said. A short time later, people on shore saw two people in the water. A Coast Guard helicopter dispatched to the area spotted a woman whose body soon washed ashore near Seal Rock, as well as a man who disappeared under the water and did not resurface, Pichette said. The Coast Guard and other agencies searched for him until 11 p.m., without success. This morning, his body was found on Ocean Beach. A report.

Jessica Watson, the 16-year-old Australian who braved knockdowns and seven months of solitude set foot on dry land outside the Sydney Opera House on Saturday, thus becoming the youngest person to sail around the globe solo, nonstop and unassisted when she cruised into Sydney Harbor in her pink, 34-foot yacht ‘Ella’s Pink lady’ to a rock-star welcome. "Amazingly, I just enjoyed it much, much more than I ever thought I would and handled the challenges better than I thought," Watson said. Her feat will not be considered an official world record because the World Speed Sailing Record Council discontinued its "youngest" category, which was held by another Australian, Jesse Martin, after he completed the journey in 1999 at the age of 18. Martin and British sailor Mike Pelham, another young solo circumnavigator, were among the first to congratulate Watson.
Read more.

Perfect conditions in the Sir Francis Drake Channel prevailed for the start of the main fleet a mile south of the entrance to Nanny Cay. Sunny and warm with an ENE 10 to15-knot breeze, the downwind start sent the yachts on a westerly course through The Narrows between the US and British Virgin Islands before heading north some 840 miles to the finish line in Bermuda. Two yachts started in St. Augustine, Fla. and have about the same 840 miles to sail. They are expected to join the main fleet in the coming week. Eleven British, six US, two German and and one boat each from Panama, Switzerland, Austria and Belgium participate. The official report and the entry list.

The hoopla about Jessica Watson finishing her solo nonstop trip around the world will kick into high volume when she crosses the finish line in Sydney AUS later this week. But the World Speed Sailing Council will rain on her parade, writes Nancy Knudsen in Sail World. The WSSC will neither recognize her for being the (thus far) youngest person to sail around the world singlehandedly, nonstop and unassisted, nor will it recognize her course as a true circumnavigation. The rules specify a minimum orthodromic distance of 21,600 nautical miles while Watson, according to calculations by the WSSC, will have sailed only 18,265 nm. So the record books will not be rewritten, and Jesse Martin AUS, the current record holder, looks to retain his official title. See the story.

With Aussie girl Jessica Watson recovered from a knockdown and is close to closing her loop, her slightly younger rival, 16-year-old Abby Sunderland USA has sailed into Cape Town for repairs to her autopilot, thus ending her quest to complete a non-stop unassisted circumnavigation. 'I gave it my best shot and made it almost half way around the world. I will definitely keep going, and whether or not I will make any more stops after this I don't yet,' Sunderland wrote on her blog. 'It would be foolish and irresponsible for me to keep going with my equipment not working well,' She had already stopped once since the start of her journey on January 23 for maintenance reasons, in Cabo San Lucas, where she had extra batteries added to her yacht and other repairs. However on that occasion she was able to re-start her journey, as she had not passed the equator. Her Web site.

Jessica Watson, on the home stretch of her non-stop unassisted circumnavigation, has had another knockdown as the first of several forecast systems pass. Watson is roughly in line with Ceduna in South Australia and heading to round the most southerly tip of Tasmania. A Customs aircraft flew over just after the knock-down. Here is her Prozac blog post: “I was in my bunk asleep this time when we went over and was woken up when various objects and a whole lot of water landed on top of me. Seriously whatever happed to gently shaking someone awake and handing them a cup of coffee? Despite the fact that today started with a knockdown, a wet bunk, a headache and some pretty huge seas, I've had a great day….” Watson’s news page.

Whether one is new to sailing or looking to sharpen racing starts or navigation skills, the ninth annual Women's Sailing Conference has something for everyone as the event returns to Corinthian Yacht Club in scenic Marblehead, MA, on Saturday, June 5. Sponsored by BoatUS and organized by the National Women's Sailing Association, conference topics include introduction to sailing and racing, diesel engine troubleshooting, boat systems, knots, charting, crew overboard, night sailing, suddenly single-handed, spinnakers and more. Sorry, no dudes allowed. Read the entire release.

Seven of last year's nine winners of major awards in the Newport Ocean Sailing Association's Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race will return to the starting line off Balboa Pier for the 63rd annual classic Friday at noon. Spectators won't have any trouble picking out the fastest one among the 212 entries, H.L. Enloe's 60-foot trimaran, ‘LoeReal’. In 2009's dream reaching breeze, Doug Baker's ‘Magnitude 80’ ripped off a record time by a monohull of 10 hours 37 minutes 50 seconds for the 125.5-mile course. Enloe posted the second fastest time ever by a multihull of 8 hours 45 minutes 3 seconds. ‘Mag 80’ won't be back, but ‘LoeReal’ will try to best the absolute record of 6 hours 46 minutes 40 seconds set by the late Steve Fossett on Dennis Conner’s old 'Stars & Stripes' catamaran in 1998. Event site

Last January, the Island Sailing Club announced its intention to introduce live GPS tracking for boats taking part in the 2010 Round the Island Race on June 19. “Competitors with suitable GPS-equipped mobile phones or laptops will be able to continuously log their position as they sail around the Island,“ the press release said, going on to explain the benefits for spectators and competitors who can later “replay” their race online. It makes sailing more accessible to a global mass audience and adds another interesting facet to Internet coverage. thus far this technology (borrowed from the trucking industry) is mostly used for ocean races like Groupama’s recent Jules Verne trophy record and in the current Bénéteau Figaro Transat AG2R, which we cover daily. So what the Brits are trying is not exactly new. New is the scale (an estimated 1,500 boats will be in this race), which represents numerous technical and logistical challenges. But as these systems evolve, we expect them to show up in one-design and even Olympic class racing.

The showdown between the J-Class behemoths ’Velsheda’ , ’Ranger’ and 'Hanuman' (inspired by Endeavour II') fizzled out before it got under way, because Jim Clark, ‘Hanuman’s’ owner, pulled out of Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta last week. The billionaire owner felt his fellow J-Class owners were a bit too ambitious in hiring professional crew. Clark wrote a letter that he made public, explaining his reasoning. Read the hilarious account and how he wants to correct the situation. Reader comment: "Like kindergarten."

The last day of Palmavela finally brought the marvelous seabreeze who makes this Mallorcan Bay to one of the most famous sailing areas. As expected,Torbjörn Tornquist's 'Artemis' remained on top of the TP52 while Udo Schutz GER and his 'Container' helmed by Markus Wieser GER won the [ url=www.prensarcnp.es/palm2010/resultados2010/resulta/overall_minimaxir_minimaxir-c.html]Mini-Maxi-Series[/url]. See the final report, all results and the Palmavela video reports.

171 yachts participate in the Primavela 2010 that opens today at Mallorca ESP for a variety of classes such as the Maxi-Wally's, the TP52, the Platu 25 or the J/80. Many well known sailors are among the participants, such as Paul Cayard USA and Cameron Appelton NZL on the TP52 'Artemis', Sébastien Col FRA, Markus Wieser GER, Jesper Radich DEN or Peter Holmberg ISV. The event-website and a preview.

It’s slow going for the Plastiki. They’re 25 days into the trip and have covered 2200 miles, averaging 3.67 knots thus far. But they are in good spirits harvesting kale and sprouts from the cylindrical garden on the mizzen mast and pedaling away on their bicycle generators to generate electrical power for their next blog entry.
Before they set off for Sydney, there was time for a little celebrity chat on board, Dave taking funny guy Robin Williams around the boat, checking out the composting head and the translucent albino laminate. Watch the video.

Dick Drechsler, the founder of The Sail Through Cancer Foundation and a cancer survivor himself, found himself in a pickle after getting caught by some steep breakers in the shallowest part of the entrance of the San Blas MEX estuary. Accompanied by his wife Sharon, he watched two fellows ahead of him getting tossed around, so he tried to time it and gunned the engine of his Catalina 470 ‘Last Resort.’ It looked good for a while, but then things changed…. Listen to Sharon’s voice and remember these images next time you are about to do the same. On the upside: Only a camera had to be chalked up in the loss column.

With a well-established trade wind blowing at twenty knots or more, the tone was set for the crews in the Voiles de St. Barth. Today’s course led the fleet around the island and its rocky islets on a 35-mile course, before finishing with a long downwind at Forked Island. The final buoy in the harbor entrance to Gustavia saw some acrobatics, with the wind whistling down from the hills or stopping altogether. The breeze whipped up some chop and around Coco Island and the Soube Rocks wave height reached about nine feet. It wasn’t enough to bother the big boats however, which were led for a while by the all- woman crew of the Class W 76 ‘White Wings.’ The biggest yachts ‘Rambler’ and ‘Sojana,’ felt right at home and showed their full speed potential. Read the report and check the results.

More than 30 boats have registered for the 42nd edition of the 500-mile Regata del Sol from St Petersburg Fla. to Isla Mujeres, Mex. with an April 23 start in St. Pete. Entries hail from Florida, Rhode Island, Louisiana, and Alaska. The first Isla Mujeres race dates back to 1969 and has been kept running in large part by the efforts of the St. Petersburg YC and former Mexican Secretary of Sports, Jose De Jesus Lima.

'Qingdao' is the second team to finish the marathon 5,690-mile leg of the Clipper Race 09-10 from Qingdao, China, to San Francisco, California. In a report to the Race Office 'Quindao's' skipper, Chris Stanmore Major, confirmed that they'd crossed the Noonday Rock finish line near the North Farallone Islands at 15:40 local time (22:40 UTC). The boats that have finished by April 5 will be open to public viewing on that day at San Francisco Marina from 10 am to noon and from 2pm to 4pm. Cape Breton Island and Qingdao, probably Jamaica Lightning Bolt (expected Friday) should be there. The jury-rigged California with her escorts 'Spirit of Australia' and 'Hull & Humber,' are expected on April 6. Read the www.clipperroundtheworld.com/index.php/race_news reports.

More pirate attacks further offshore, as far east as the coast of India and as far south as Madagascar is what sailors should be expecting, says the International Sailing Federation. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, even though the links in the press release on the ISAF site were broken when we tried them yesterday. Still, we have the anti-piracy flyer (PDF) for your education and entertainment. So don't blame us if you get in trouble.

The 25the edition of the ARC is the most popular ever. Already in early March, the 200th yacht has registered, and it looks like the anniversary edition of this event is fixture on every cruising calendar. The organizing World Cruising Club of Cowes GBR says it is overwhelmed by so much interest. A number of parties are planned in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and at the finish port of Rodney Bay, St. Lucia. A special highlight will be the participation of several ARC veterans, i.e. sailors and yachts from the first event in 1986. As the number of berths at the Las Palmas (Gran Canaria) marina is limited to 215, owners have to make up their minds quickly to sign up. The report.

With a few exceptions, most of yesterday's class leaders remained in place on the last day of the International Rolex Regatta in St. Thomas USVI to collect the winners' watches. Unlike last year when he lost it in the last race, Puerto Rico's Fraito held on to win the IC 24 class. In the Spinnaker Racing 2 Class Chris Stanton's Melges 24 Devil 3 managed to beat Dave West's Melges 32 Jurakan on corrected time and by four points overall. In IRC, Richard Oland's Vela Veloce, with Olympic silver medalist Brian Ledbetter (Seattle, Wash.) driving, posted a final score of 13 points to overtake Austin and Gwen Fragomen's Interlodge. The Spinnaker Racing/Cruising Class was won by James Dobbs' J/122 Lost Horizon while Antonio Sanpere's J/36 Cayennita Grande posted five victories in as many races in Non-Spinnaker Racing. The Farr 65 Team On-Deck/Spirit of Isis, edged the magnificent Kialoa V in CSA Spinnaker Racing 1, while John Holmberg prevailed to win the Beach Cat class on a Hobie 16. View the videos, check all results and photos.

Racing at the International Rolex Regatta was under a pall today after word got out about the death of Guy Eldridge, who passed away after yesterday’s races. Eldridge of Road Town, Tortola, BVI was a well-known island sailor and long-time International Rolex Regatta competitor. He had skippered 'Luxury Girl' to fourth in Spinnaker Racing/Cruising Class. Before heading out today, a moment of silence was observed by the competitors. Details bout Eldridge's death were unavailable at deadline.
Leading the 15-boat IC 24 fleet is Puerto Rico's Fraito Lugo aboard Orion. Elizabeth Brookes' Farr 65 Spirit of Isis is ahead in CSA Spinnaker Racing 1. In the CSA-handicapped Spinnaker Racing 2 Class the Chris Stanton's Melges 24 Devil 3 is sitting on a two-point lead over Dave West's Melges 32 Jurakan, while in the large IRC class, Interlodge (JV 52) and Vela Veloce (southern Cross 52) are tied for first. See all www.yachtscoring.com/event_results_cumulative.cfm?eID=299 results. Online video, photos and reports, plus mobile phone updates

Day 1 at the International Rolex Regatta brought two races under sunny skies with 15 to 18-knot breezes that kept all teams honest. Interlodge (JV 52) won today’s first “town” race in IRC, which went from St. Thomas Yacht Club to Charlotte Amalie. White Heat took (Summit 40) second and Vela Veloce (Southern Cross 52) was third. In the second race, which reversed course, Vela Veloce outmaneuvered Interlodge at the start on her way to a bullet, while Interlodge settled for second. Overall, Interlodge leads the 8-boat IRC class. The Spinnaker Racing 2 class is led by Jurakan (Melges 32), tied on points with Devil 3 (Melges 24). The report and the results. Online video highlights and updates for mobile phones.

Following ‘California’s’ dismasting in stormy conditions last weekend during the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race, the Danish registered tanker Nord Nightingale was diverted to render assistance while under way from Yokohama Japan, to Los Angeles, Calif. The purpose was to medevac two crew members from the yacht. One of them, Clive Cockram, 53, GBR was thrown across the cabin and sustained cuts to his head when the boat was rolled by a beam sea. After several attempts, Cockram was safely transferred to the merchant ship in high seas. Fellow crew member, Dennis Flynn USA was also transferred to the tanker. Meanwhile, cleanup continues aboard the dismasted ‘California’ while the boat continues to motor towards San Francisco with another yacht, ‘Jamaica Lightning Bolt’ in close proximity to help relay messages back to the race office. The report

Balboa Yacht Club’s 2010 Corona del Mar to Cabo San Lucas MEXRace will get under way next Friday and Saturday. Standouts among the 36 boats will be the 78-foot ‘Akela’ and the R/P 63 ‘Limit’ in Class A. Class D is expected to be tight with four J/125’s and three Farr 40’s duking it out for class and corrected-time wins. Moderate winds are forecast so most finishes are expected for on Tuesday. Event site and boat tracking

Another incident was reported from the current stage of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race from Qingdao, China to San Francisco, Calif. This time the racing yacht ‘California’ USA was dismasted and her EPIRB was activated. At 15:45 GMT on Sunday, sailing under storm jib only in 50 knots of wind, ‘California’ was hit by a large beam sea from the port side. The impact caused the 68-foot boat to roll to starboard through approximately 120 degrees and as the yacht righted herself the mast broke in two places. During the roll, a large amount of water came through the main hatch and flooded the navigation station, cutting off the boat's communication systems. The US Coastguard sent a C130 aircraft to check on ‘California’ and talked to skipper Pete Rollason on the VHF radio. Rollason confirmed the boat lost the mast above the first spreader, but also said it is sound enough to proceed towards San Francisco under engine. Event Web site.

One of the world’s resources that have run out are restorable J-Class yachts. Therefore, the only way to prolifeate is built them from scratch using aluminum for the hulls, carbon for the spars and 3Dl for the sails. The idea is to make them hip, but not overly so in order to let them race against the existing vintage J-Class boats like Endeavour, Velsheda and Shamrock V or other replicas like Hanuman, Ranger J5 and Lionheart. The latest one of these J-replicas, the Starling Burgess-designed Rainbow, which was modified by Dykstra & Partners Naval Architects, recently was turned over Bloemsma Aluminiumbouw in Makkum NED to get ready for outfitting. Read rainbow-jh2.com ]more[/url]

The replica ninth-century 'Jewel of Muscat', a square rigged sailing ship, has completed the first leg on its way from Oman to Singapore, arriving at the Indian port of Kochi. The wooden 'sewn plank' sailing ship has been modeled on the famous Tang Treasure ship that sank in the Indian Ocean with gold and other precious items belonging to the ancient Chinese Tang dynasty. The plan is to stick to ancient trade routes, hence the first stop in India. Next stops are Galle in Sri Lanka, George Town in Penang, and Malacca before arriving in Singapore after a five-month voyage. After the trip, Oman will gift 'Jewel of Muscrat' to the people of Singapore. Read the article.

Cruisers and fun racers in Southern California tested their offshore mettle at the first Islands Race from Newport to San Diego. A fleet of 41 boats made the 130-mile dash and enjoyed some lively ocean sailing outside of Catalina and San Clemente islands. Corrected-time winner was the Santa Cruz 50 ‘Flaca’ by Paul Casanova. First across the line was Magnitude 80 with Brad Avery at the controls ahead of Dennis Conner who raced Stars & Stripes, his Farr 60. See results, photo streams and video.

Last week, the Cruising Club of America presented its annual awards at the New York Yacht Club. Sir Robin Knox-Johnston was awarded the Blue Water Medal for a lifetime devoted to the advancement of sailing, sail training and youth development, and on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of his singlehanded, non-stop circumnavigation of the world. Other awardees include Annie Hill and Trevor Robertson, Lin and Larry Pardey, Maurice and Sophie Conti, John Rousmaniere and Rich Wilson.

With one last race on Sunday, it's a wrap. After three days of Caribbean flair and fun for the 240 boats and more than 2000 sailors, the 30th edition of the Heineken St. Maarten Regatta is in the books, even though some might still be standing at a bar somewhere. In Spinnaker 1, the showcase class, Tom Hill’s racing red R/P 75 'Titan 15!' proved too much to handle for the bigger boats'Rambler' (R/P 90) and 'Highland Fling' (Wally 82). Three firsts and two seconds for a low-point score of 7 reflect the kind of regatta they had. ‘It’s the best boat I ever owned, right out of the box,’ Hill said. In Spinnaker 2 ‘Sin Duda’ was equally dominant with the same score. Read the final report, check all results and thegallery.

Day two of the 30th St. Maarten Heineken Regatta brought a lively breeze from the south that topped 20 kts and made for some classic Caribbean racing with thrills and spills in the 240-boat fleet. The racing boats did a couple of short windward/leeward races offshore in the morning, and an afternoon sprint round the coast. On the Wally 82 ‘Highland Fling’ with Peter Holmberg at the controls, the forestay broke right after the first start. The team recovered from the mishap to save the rig, but was handicapped the rest of the day. 'Titan 15' with Peter Isler at the helm continued its dominance and remains in first overall by corrected time in Spinnaker 1. The bare boats raced off Simpson Bay but had the chance to enjoy quality time on the beach or a beer or two.Results and images.

The mother of all beerfest sailing, the 30th Heineken Regatta in St. Maarten got under way today in light breeze and sultry conditions. The big boats were sent around the island on a 32-miler, while most others sailed shorter courses. In the Spinnaker 1 Class, Tom Hill’s new Reichel/Pugh ‘Titan 15!’ corrected out to first, over George David’s ‘Rambler’ (R/P 90) and ‘Highland Fling,’ Irvine Laidlaw’s Wally 82. Spinnaker 2 saw ‘Sin Duda! Fritz Duda’s venereable Santa Cruz 52 correct out to first over the Swan 90 ‘White Lie’ and passion 4 C a Bill Tripp design. Sojan the massive Farr 115 owned by Sir Peter Harrison finished 6th on corrected time, one spot ahead of Hanse Yachts boss Michael Schmidt, who sailed one of his own products, a Hanse 630. All results

Junior sailors from the northeast US can extend the 2010 sailing season by 150 miles. The organizing committee of the Ida Lewis Distance Race has announced the introduction of its Youth Challenge for this year’s sixth edition of the race, which is scheduled to start on Friday, August, 20, 2010. “The idea of the Ida Lewis Distance Race Youth Challenge is to give junior programs an incentive to organize teams and develop the skills necessary to succeed in a medium-distance overnight race,” said Committee Member Joe Cooper, who is spearheading the effort. Teams must be registered under the flag of a US SAILING yacht club or community sailing establishment. All youth sailors must attend a brief informational meeting the evening prior to the race and are encouraged to attend one of the Storm Trysail Club Foundation’s Junior Safety at Sea Seminars.

It’s not a secret that the sport of sailing struggles for participation, especially among the crowd of 25- to 45-year olds. European Travel Ventures AB in Sweden is tapping into this void by offering The Yacht Week, a ‘summer sailing vacation that is accessible to everyone.’ This means package deals for charter boats in some of the world’s finest sailing venues with like-minded, fun-hungry people in shorts and bikinis. If the video is any indication, the party is the destination.
The 2010 dates:
British Virgin Islands: March 13-20
Croatia: July 17th - August 28
Greece: August 14-21, August 21-28
Ibiza: July 31 - August 7, August 7 - 14

After 62 years of the oldest of all races from the U.S. to Mexico, shouldn't everybody know how to sail the 125.5 nautical miles from Newport Beach to Ensenada? Not necessarily. With 50 days to go before the April 23 start in Newport Beach, Calif., the Newport Ocean Sailing Association (www.nosa.org) offers free pre-race seminars as primers for rookies and refresher courses for veterans. The subjects range from preparing your boat to racing at night to entering Todos Santos Bay and anchoring in Ensenada Harbor. If you want to get a feel for what it’s like, watch this video.
First date is today at Ventura YC, followed by five morefive more through the end of March.

Serious fun at shoreside parties often has a dirty secret: The serious amount of trash that’s left behind. And the folks at the upcoming the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta want to do something about it. Like last year, they participate in the Clean Regatta Program by non-profit Sailors for the Sea to create environmental awareness and to reduce their impact on oceans and coastal waters. Here’s how they’ll do it: Issuing reusable bow numbers, enabling paperless registration, using biodegradable office products, using absorbing pads to prevent oil and fuel spills, passing out biodegradable drinking cups and straws at the parties, and selling bracelets to raise money for marine parks on the island. Read more about the eco-conscious attitude in St. Maarten.

Weather and preparations permitting, Plastiki, David de Rothschild's 60-foot catamaran made from recycled plastic bottles, might shove off for its 11,000-mile trip across the Pacific from San Francisco, Calif., to Sydney, Australia. However, space on board will be limited to six or seven. Four will be the primary sailing crew, the rest (i.e. a camera team from National Geographic) will document the trip for posterity. See also the Sailing News Interview with de Rothschild. Therefore, a report about Elizabeth Jagger, the oldest daughter of Rolling Stones front man Mick joining the trip sounded a little peculiar. Lizzie is a famous model and an actress, not an ocean sailor. Maybe we're missing something here, so we checked with the Plastiki Camp and were told: 'Lizzie Jagger was at their christening party Saturday night and someone must have started a rumor.'

With a few days to go, final preparations are well underway for the 30th anniversary of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta (4-7 March). There’s a steady flow of yachts arriving in the marina and the bareboat charter fleet is expected to surpass 100 boats, with Beneteau and Jeanneau yachts making up the bulk of the fleet. There’ll certainly be no lack of top-ranked competition in this fleet either with the likes of Margriet Matthijsse – Dutch, double Europe Olympic silver medallist – who will be racing with her team aboard a Beneteau Oceanis 473 Heineken Rotterdam (Monet II), among the notable entries. The big boat line-up includes Tom and Dotty Hill’s new custom Reichel/Pugh 75 ‘Titan 15,’ George David’s Reichel/Pugh 90 – ‘Rambler’, and Irvin Laidlaw’s Wally 82 ‘Highland Fling,’ Roberto Galperti’s Swan 90 ‘White Lie,’ Patrick Adams’ Swan 100 ‘Varsovie,’ Peter Harrison’s Farr 115 ‘Sojana,’ and Christopher Besser’s Swan 80 ‘Team Selene.’
Read more
Check out the videos

It’s been a tradition at the Heineken Regatta to shred around the Caribbean island of St. Maarten/St. Martin in big boats, small boats, race boats, charter boats and multihulls. This year the big Heineken celebrates 30 years (see separate report) and cats and tris got their own event a week earlier. Start and finish was Philipsburg on the Dutch side of the island and shred they did alst Saturday, Feb. 27. Fastest elapsed time was posted by Jeff Ledee on a Nacra Formula 18 in 2 hours 55 minutes and 17 seconds. Not far behind was Bernard Sillem on his Prindle 19 in 3 hrs. 01 min. 57 sec. See results and images

Yesterday, the 30-meter Solar-trimaran 'Planet Solar' was unveiled for the first time at the HDW-shipyard in Kiel GER. In a few weeks already, she shall be launched. The round-the-world rounding project with solar energy only will start in 2011. The report (PDF) in french.

Yesterday evening, after 2 days, 11 hrs and 21 min, 'Beau Geste' with Gavin Brady (NZL) at the helm, took line honors in the 600-miles race around 14 Caribbean isalnds. 'I sailed in shorts and T-shirt the whole race, even though the wind strength got up to 20 knots,' Brady commented. 'That's something you don't say very often after a 600 mile classic.' The report and all results.

'Akela' maintained the high average speed of 12,2 kn, improving the San Diego USA to Puerto Vallarta MEX record by 3 hrs to 3 days and 12 hrs. 'Peligroso', arriving in Mexico 2 hrs 30 min later, is the Division 1 winner in calculated time. The results, the report and the videos of the day.

The big news on Tuesday in the San Diego to Puerto Vallarta (MEX) Race was the withdrawal from the race by Pendragon VI due to a boat issue (undisclosed at this time). The crew is safe in Cabo. It is undecided if they will make the trip under motor to PV to join the festivities. Escort Vessel Coley D spent the night in Cabo as well, and will be looking at a Thursday arrival in PV.
Back to the racers, the wind has been strong and consistent through the night and has allowed all boats to maintain speed near or above 10 kts at every ping by the Race Tracker. Some boats have hit readings of 17+ kts and likely went higher during the race. The possibility of a record breaking race by Akela or Peligroso is still in play.
San Diego Yacht Club publishes daily race reports and videos.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather
Service will use a new hurricane scale this season called the Saffir-Simpson
Hurricane Wind Scale. The scale keeps the same wind speed ranges as the
original Saffir-Simpson Scale for each of the five hurricane categories, but
no longer ties specific storm surge and flooding effects to each category.
Report in Trade Only Today

Scores of spectators gathered on Shirley Heights and Fort Charlotte on the island of Antigua to witness the start of the RORC Caribbean 600. The first boats crossed the line for the 605-mile race on Monday, 12:30 p.m. local time, taking on the course that will take them around 14 Caribbean islands in what organizers consider 'probably the best sailor's play ground in the world.' Competitors were treated to some superb sailing conditions, with warm waters and a balmy easterly breeze of 12-15 knots. Read daily reports and track the fleet.

As reported by Sailing News last week, 48 students and 16 professional crew and teachers were rescued successfully after the Canadian-flagged threemaster 'Concordia' sank 300 miles off the coast of Brazil. The Concordia's Captain, William Curry, told the Associated Press that the sinking occurred Wednesday afternoon - a day earlier than previously reported. Curry said he and the crew had prepared for rough but not unusual weather. He blamed the sinking of his vessel on a 'microburst,' a sudden, vertical downdraft that first heeled the ship over, then kept it on its side as window began to pop, which caused 'Concordia' to take on water and sink.
Read Sail World's report.

The sailing yacht Triton reported it was attacked by pirates 40 miles north of Trinidad. Details are sketchy thus far, but according to a report by another sailor on Cruisers Network Online, nobody was injured while the boat was ransacked. Sailors criticize the Yacht Services of Trinidad and Tobago allegedly for not doing enough to make this incident public, i.e. through the association’s Web site, which offers a ‘Safety & Security Notice' menu. However that appeared to be defunct. Read the Report.

Sailing for a good cause in the Caribbean, it does not get any better than this. More than 50 entries will gather this weekend in St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands to help raise funds at the annual St. Croix Yacht Club Hospice and Optimist Regatta that will go to support the end-of-life medical needs of St. Croix residents, regardless of their ability to pay. More than one third of the island’s population of has poor or no health insurance coverage at all. The preview and the Gallery.